Apparatus for making elastic yarns



Oct. 9, 1934. H. z. COBB APPARATUS FOR MAKING ELASTIQ YARNS Filed Aug. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l V INVENTOR Hf/l/y Z. C

\'/ ATTORNE oct. 9, 1934.

H. z. COBB 1,976,328

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ELASTIC YARNS 2 sheets-smet 2 Filed Aug. 14. 1931 INVENTOR Lymg Patented Oct. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR MAKING ELASTIC YABNS Henry Z. Cobb, Providence, R. I., assignor to Revere Rubber Company, Providence, R. I., a corporation oi'v Rhode Island Application August 14, 1931, Serial No. 556,955

12 Claims. (Cl. 117-34) When covering elastic cores in the manufacture of elastic yarns, it is necessary, in order to insure uniformity in the product, to wind covering threads thereon While the rubber core is under a uniform tension. When covering nonelastic cores, this tension is obtained by the use of tensioning devices which exert a frictional drag on the core as it is pulled through the covering machine. These devices are not satisfactory in the manufacture of elastic yarns as the frictional resistance of said devices varies as the cross section of the rubber changes under tension, thus causing non-uniform gripping of the rubber which results in an uneven and sometimes a jerky action inimical to a successful covering operation.

An object of this invention is to provide a process and means for conditioning elastic yarns in a state of uniform tension while the same are being subjected to the covering operation.

Another object is to provide a process and means for accumulating masses of covered cores after the covering operation is completed and the tension necessitated therein released, said accumulation being accomplished under a slight degree of tension and in a condition wherein the covered cores may be readily handled.

A further object of this invention is to improve known covering machines and adapt their operation to the manufacture of elastic yarns.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will more clearly appear when reference is had to the following specification and drawings.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 1A are side elevations of an apparatus by means of which this invention is accomplished, certain parts, such as drive gearing and frame construction being omitted for the sake of simplicity.

Figs. 2 and 2A are front elevations of the device in Figs. l and 1A.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the modified form of the tension control device of Figs. 1A and 2A.

Fig. 4 is a similarly modied form of the tension control device of Figs. 1 and 2.

In one embodiment of the invention, illustrated in Figs. l, 1A, 2 and 2A, a spool 2 of elastic thread l or other elastic material suitable as a core for elastic yarn, is placed with its shaft 3 in the crotched ends of brackets 4 which are supported by carriers 5 connected by a yoke 6 to an operating rod 7. The carriers and rod are journalled for vertical movement in parts of the frame of the machine'as indicated at 8 and 9. A driving roll 10 driven from a shaft -11 by a suitable source of power (not shown) and journaled in the frame of the machine, is arranged so that the spool 2 will rest thereagainst and be rotated thereby to release the wound thread at a. rate of speed governed by the surface speed of the driving roll 10.

From the spool 2 the core is led through a guide 12 to the covering devices of the covering machine. Such devices may take the^ form of upper and lower motor assemblies arranged to rotate spools or bobbins around the core and wind material therearound. For instance the core may be led to a lower motor assembly which consists of a spindle 13 which is connected with and rotated by electric motor 14 supported in the frame 9. Disposed above the motor and around the spindle, and rotating therewith is a spool of covering material which is associated with a ring and track mechanism in a manner causing the advancing core to be wrapped with the covering material as the spool is rotated therearound. This spool, ring and track mechanism is not shown in Figs. 1a and 2a as it is identical with that of the upper motor assembly which will now be described.

Having advanced through the lower motor assembly, and having been thereby wound with covering material from the lower spool, the advance of the partly covered core is continued upwardly through spindle 15 of the upper motor assembly. 'I'his consists of an upper motor 16 and a spool 17 positioned thereover on which the outer covering material 18 is wound. The covering material from the lower or 'upper spool may be any desired material as cotton, wool, rayon, silk, linen, etc. and each spool may be- Wound with the same or a different type vcovering material. 'Ihe upper spool, as in 4the case ofA the lower one, is attached to Vand rotates with its spindle 15 and extends through an opening in plate 21 which is fixed to the machine frame, the covering material beingA led through the opening and through the travelers 19 and 23 which travel on traveler-rings 20 and 22 on the plate 21 and on spindle 15 respectively. As the partly covered core advances, the spool rotates at high speed carrying the covering material which carries traveler 19 around traveler-ring- 20 and traveler 23 about traveler-ring 22. The rotary traveler-ring 22 and its traveler 23 need` not be utilized unless desired. In covering elastic cores it hasbeenfound advantageous to thread the yarn only through thetraveler 19, on the stationary traveler-ring 20. As the spoollevolves it carries the covering thread and winds it upon the advancing core. The rotation of the upper spools should be opposite to that of the lower one and may be at the same or different speeds, the opposite rotation resulting in oppositely wound helical windings which do not tend to make the finished yarn curl or twist on itself.

After the second covering operation, the covered core is led upwardly through guide 24 and under heavy roller 25 which is supported by crotches 26 of brackets 50 so that it may rest upon driving roller 27 and hold the covered thread at the points of contact between the two rolls. Brackets 50 are attached to carriers 28 which are connected to rod 7 by `a yoke 51. Roller 27 is driven by suitable source of power and is driven at an angular speed greater than that of the roll 10, the differential in angular speeds being translated into linear speeds at the points where the core or yarn is actuated which linear speeds are governed by the amount of stretch desired to be imparted to the core as it is advanced through the machine. It can be seen that the linear speed of let-off from spool 2 will be constant, as will the take-up by roller 25; by virtue of the surface drive provided, and these speeds will correspond to the linear speeds of the driving rolls 10 and 27 which are determined in advance. Thus the core is constantly and uniformly stretched or tensioned to the desired degree while the covers are being wound thereupon. While the degree of stretch may be varied within considerable limits, I have found that the covering operation is ordinarily best accomplished by driving roller 27 two or three times as fast as roller 10, thereby imparting a 2-1 or 3-1 stretch as the case may be.

Immediately on leaving the bight between rollers 25 and 27 the covered core is relaxed to its normal condition plus whatever tension is imparted thereto by the covers. It is in subv stantially this condition that it is desirable to accumulate the elastic yarn into readily handled masses. Toward this end a reel 29 is journaled in crotches 30 on brackets 52 fixed to carriers 28 and arranged to be driven by frictional contact with a third driving roller 31. The reel is thus rotated at a constant speed determined by the linear or surface speed of the roller 31. This is preferably designed so that the covered elastic core is wound under substantially the same, though perhaps slightly greater, tension than it possesses on emerging from between rollers 25 and 27. Traverse bar 32 equipped with a pigtail 33 is provided for distributing the elastic yarn evenly over the reel. After the desired quantity lof yarn is accumulated on the reel a binding thread is woven between the yarn in slots 34 to separate the accumulated mass into groups of yarns, the thread being then tied and the mass removed in the form of a skein.

Rod 7 and carriers 5 and 28 are arranged to slide vertically through parts 8, 9, 8 and 9 of the machine frame so that they may be raised and lowered by actuating the rod 7 by any suitable means. To this rod are fixed collars 35 and 36 and switch operating channel 37. The collars coact with the levers 38 and 39 which operate brake mechanisms for the upper and lower motors respectively and the channel 37 operates a snap switch which controls the current supply for the motors. When the rod 7 is depressed rollers 2 and 25 and reel 29 arelowered onto their respective driving drums, switch 40 snapped to on position, the brakes released through levers 38 and 39 and the entire covering operation commenced, the core being fed off spool 2 and drawn up through rolls 25 and 27 while being covered by the various motor assemblies, and then being wound on reel 29. When the rod 7 is elevated the rollers 2, 25 and reel 29 are lifted away from theirdriving rollers, switch 40 snapped oi, the brakes applied to the motors by springs (not shown) operating between the motor housings and yokes 41 and 42 which are xed to the ends of the levers 38 and 39, thus stopping the entire covering operation.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modified arrangement for letting oi the elastic core and pulling out the elastic yarn. In this embodiment the core (Fig. 3) is taken from a suitable source, as container 43, and passed over guide 44 and led into the bight between heavy rollers 45 and 46 whose shafts are loosely journaled in crotches 47 of brackets 4. Driving roll 10 drives the lower roll 45 which in turn, through core 1', drives roller 46, thereby insuring the letting out of the core material 1 at a constant rate of speed. In Fig. 4 is illustrated the upper portion of the device of this embodiment with driving roller 27' cooperating with the covered core and roller 48, the latter clamping the covered core between 27' and 49. The use of this embodiment is advantageous as it provides a positive grip on the core or covered thread and is thus better adapted to hold the same from slipping through the machine in the event a break occurs.

The invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described, these being set forth' for purposes of illustration merely. It is obvious that various modifications will, as a result of the principles herein disclosed, suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. A number of units such as those described may be arranged in a covering machine if the same is designed for handling and covering a plurality of cores.

Having thus described nw invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for manufacturing elastic yarn, the combination with a pair of rotary hollow yarn packages in aligned co-axial relation for successive windings about an elastic core extending-therethrough, a stationary travelerring concentrically disposed outside of each said hollow yarn package, a traveler thereon, the traveler on each traveler-ring adapted to be driven by the yarn from a hollow yarn package, and means for rotating each hollow yarn package, of means for feeding an elastic core at a uniform speed and under a uniform and predetermined degree of tension through both of said hollow yarn packages/and means for guiding the elastic core axially of each of said hollow yarn packages, said last named means being located between the feeding means and outside the means for covering.

`2. In an apparatus for manufacturing elastic yarn, the combination with a pair of rotary hollow yarn packages in aligned co-axial relalos tion for successive windings about an elastic core driven by the yarn from a hollow yarn package,

and means for rotating each hollow yarn package, of means for uniformly removing an elastic core from a mass without exerting any substantial tension on that portion of the core remaining in massed relation, and means for feeding the elastic core under a predetermined tension through both of said hollow yarn packages.

3. In an apparatus for manufacturing elastic yarn, the combination with a pair of rotary hollow yarn packages in aligned co-axial relation for successive windings about an elastic core extending therethrough, a stationary traveler-ring concentrically disposed outside of each said hollow yarn package, a traveler thereon, the traveler on each traveler-ring adapted to be driven by the yarn from a hollow yarn package, and means for rotating each hollow yarn package, of means for uniformly removing an elastic core from a mass without exerting any substantial tension on that portion of the core remaining in massed relation, means for feeding the elastic core under a predetermined tension through both of said hollow yarn packages, and means for uniformly accumulating the covered core.

4. In an apparatus for manufacturing elastic yarn, the combination with a pair of rotary hollow yarn packages in aligned co-axial relation for successive windings about an elastic core, a stationary traveler-ring concentrically disposed outside of each of said hollow yarn packages, a traveler adapted to travel on said ring, the traveler on each traveler-ring adapted to be driven by the yarn from a hollow yarn package, and means for rotating each hollow yarn package, of means for supplying the elastic core at a constant and predetermined linear velocity, means for tensioning to a predetermined degree the elastic core and removing it after it has been covered with yarn at a constant predetermined greater linear velocity, said last named means including a driven roll and a cooperating roller vgravity operated to nip the covered elastic core, and means for guiding the elastic core axially of each of said hollow yarn packages.

5. In an apparatus for manufacturing elastic` yarn, the combination with means comprising a pair of hollow yarn packages in aligned co-axial relation for successive windings of relatively non-elastic fibrous yarns about an elastic core extending therethrough, of means for uniformly removing an elastic core from a mass without exerting any substantial tension on that portion of the core remaining in massed relation, and means for feeding the elastic core under a predetermined tension through both of said hollow yarn packages.

6. In an apparatus for manufacturing elastic yarn, the combination with a pair of rotary hollow yarn packages in aligned co-axial relation for successive windings about an elastic core extending therethrough, a stationary traveler-ring concentrically disposed outside of each said hollow yarn package, a traveler thereon, the traveler on each traveler-ring adapted to be driven by the yarn from a hollow yarn package, and means for rotating each hollow yarn package, of means for uniformly removing an elastic core from a mass without exerting .any substantial tension on that portion of the core remaining in massed relation, means for feeding the elastic .core under a uniform and predetermined degree of tension through both of said hollow lyarn packages, and means for guiding the elastic core axially of each of said hollow yarn packages.

'7. In an apparatus for manufacturing elastic yarn, the combination with means comprising a pair of hollow yarn packages in aligned co-axial relation for successive windings of relatively nonelastic fibrous yarns about an elastic core extending therethrough, ,of means for uniformly removing an elastic core from a mass without exerting any substantial tension-on that portion o1' the core remaining in massed relation, means 80 for feeding the elastic core under a uniform and predetermined degree of tension through both of said hollow yarn packages, and means for guiding the elastic core axially of each of said hollow yarn packages.

8. In an apparatus for manufacturing elastic yarn, the combination with means comprising a pair of hollow yarn packages in aligned co-axial relation for successive windings of relatively nonelastic fibrous yarn about an elastic core extendingtherethrough, of means for supplying the elastic core at a constant and predetermined linear velocity, means for tensioning to a predetermined degree the elastic core and removing it after it has been covered with yarn at a constant predetermined greater linear velocity, said last named means including a driven roll and a co-operating roller gravity operated to nip the covered elastic core, and means for guiding the elastic core axially of each of said hollow 130 yarn packages.

9. In an apparatus for manufacturing elastic yarn, the combination with a .pair of rotary hollow yarn packages in aligned co-axial relation for successive windings about an elastic 16.5. core, a traveler-ring concentrically disposed outside of each of said hollow yarn packages, a traveler shiftable on said ring adapted to be driven by yarn passed therethrough from a hollow yarn package, means for rotating each of 110 said hollow yarn packages, of means for supplying the elastic core at a constant and predetermined linear velocity, and means for tensioning to a predetermined degree the elastic core and removing it after it has been covered with yarn at a constant predetermined greater linear velocity.

10. In an apparatus for manufacturing elastic yarn, the combination with a pair of rotary hollow yarn packages in aligned co-axial rela- 126 tion for successive windings about an elastic core, a traveler-ring concentricallly disposed outside of each of said hollow yarn packages, a

ktraveler shiftable on said ring adapted to be driven by yarn passed therethrough from a hollow yarn package, means for rotating each of said hollow yarn packages, of means for supplying the elastic core at a constant and predetermined linear velocity, and means for tensioning to a predetermined degree the elastic core and removing it after it has been covered with yarn at a constant predetermined greater linear velocity than it is supplied, said means for supplying the elastic core including a mass of elastic core supply, and a driven roll for releasing the elastic core from the mass.

1l. In -an apparatus for manufacturing elastic yarn, the combination with a pair of rotary hollow yarn packages in aligned co-axial relation for successive windings about an elastic core, a traveler-ring concentrically disposed outside of each of said hollow yarn packages, a traveler shiftable on said ring adapted to be driven by yarn passed therethrough from a hollow yarn package, means for rotating each of said hollow yarn packages, of means for supplying Athe elastic core at a constant and predetermined linear velocity, and means for tensioning to a predetermined degree the elastic core and removing it after it has been covered with yarnl at a constant 1,e7e,sas

extending therethrough. of means for supplying the elastic core at a constant and predetermined linear velocity, means for tensioning to a predetermineddegreetheelastic coreandremovingit atterithasbeencoveredwithyarnataconstant predetermined greater linear velocity than it is supplied, and means for guiding the elastic core axially of each of said hollow yarn packages, said last named means being located between the means for supplying the elastic core and the nearest o! the pair of hollow yarn packages.

HENRY Z. COBB. 

